Chapter 1: Introduction When the study of literature is undertaken, critical acuity is vital. One has to be critically informed while dealing with literature as it involves many genres - drama, poetry, fiction. But in the recent times, we are witnessing a phenomenal growth in the understanding and analysis of studies that mingle varied disciplines. The importance of interlinking different disciplines together for purpose of better understanding is fast taking pace. This was not the trend some decades ago. Scholars, Mary Taylor Huber and Sherwyn p. Morreale have said that, “each disci¬pline has its own intellectual history, agreements, and disputes about subject matter and methods” and its own “community of scholars interested in teach¬ing and learning in that field.” …show more content…
According to them in the last few years, such notions have undergone a drastic change. (Morreale) More and more researchers are now enticed by undertaking researches that involve two or more disciplines. Let us first delve into the meaning of the word 'disciplines'. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word discipline can be defined as 'noun - a branch of knowledge, typically one studied in higher education' (Oxford Dictionaries). Simply put, a discipline is any particular stream of knowledge that one wishes to study with deep interest. In this sense, interdisciplinary would mean a study involving the study of two or more disciplines at the same time. Interdisciplinary studies have been around for a almost a century now. In my
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The goals and operational values of the cross-curricular approach are to help the student develop self-regulating (learning-how-to-learn and metacognition) and lifelong learning skills as well as effective democratic citizenship skills (Alahiotis & Stavlioti, 2006; Stavlioti, p. 61; Koustourakis, 2007 p.133; Vars, 2007, p.7). In order to cope with the modern realities, there is a need to move from the traditional organization of curriculum into discrete subjects/discipline areas offering fragmented knowledge, to a more linked and unified approach to knowledge in a holistic way (Alahiotis & Stavlioti, 2006; Marshall, 2005, p. 229). Conferring with psychology, the child should be treated as a whole entity so this should be reflected in the way children learn (stavlioti, p. 54; Stavlioti megalo, p. 4). Studies have shown that links between the different disciplines and connections with real-life situations enhance brain synapses, so in this way learning is promoted through multiple stimuli that these connections send to neurons (stavlioti megalo, p. 5-6). “According to Piaget (1963), learning occurs when new information is attached to prior knowledge and placed in existing conceptual compartments or schemata” (as cited in Marshall, 2005, p. 229).
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What are the main themes of the Fifth Discipline? What are these five disciplines? How you describe and explain these disciplines.
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